Latch assembly for holding an object in either of two positions

ABSTRACT

A latch assembly, for holding an object such as a door in either of two positions, includes a catch mounted in fixed position at each of the positions. A latch is mounted on the object and includes two latch portions, each of which is formed to engage and be trapped by one of the catches upon movement of the object toward one of the positions. A first of the latch portions is manipulable from one side of the object to release the other of the latch portions from its associated catch. Similarly, the other latch portion is manipulable from the other side of the object to release the first portion from its associated catch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a latch assembly for holding an objectin either of two positions. More particularly, this invention relates tosuch a latch assembly that advantageously may be used to hold, forexample, a pivotable door in either its closed position or its openposition displaced 180 or 270 degrees from its closed position.

There are many structures in which a simple yet reliable latchingmechanism is desirable for holding a closure like a door in either anopen or a closed position. For example, delivery/storage cabinets usedto transport and store food trays in bakeries or food serviceinstitutions typically have a door mounted for pivoted movement betweena closed position retaining the trays in the cabinet interior, and anopen position providing access to the interior. (A food serviceinstitution is generally understood to be one, such as a restaurant,cafeteria, school lunch facility or the like, in which food is preparedto be taken out or consumed on the premises.) When swung to the closedposition, the door should automatically and positively latch in order toprevent the trays from falling out of the cabinet. Similarly, when swungto the open position, the door should also automatically and positivelylatch so as not to interfere with removal of trays from or return to thecabinet interior and so as not to obstruct the area in which the cabinetmay temporarily be located. Furthermore, for convenience of the user,the latch assembly should be manipulable with one hand to release thedoor from either the latched open or the latched closed position.

Of course, there are many other applications for a simple latch assemblythat holds an object in either of two positions and that may beconveniently manipulated to release the object from those positions.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Many types of latches for securing a door in an open or a closedposition are presently known. Some operate under the influence ofgravity to move to a latched condition while others incorporate amechanism such as a spring for this purpose.

For example, storage and transport cabinets sold under the name CRES-CORby Crescent Metal Products, Inc., 12711 Taft, Cleveland, Oh. 44108, anddenoted 100 Series, 100-SD Series, 150 Series, 101 Series, 101-MP,100-MP, 101-MM Series, and 115-AP Series, incorporate a latch mounted onthe cabinet, not on the cabinet door, that tends to move to the latchedcondition under the influence of gravity. However, in operation thelatch is first moved manually to an unlatched position prior to latchingoperation.

Mobile cabinets available from Normandie, 133-14 Jamaica Avenue,Richmond Hill, N.Y., 11418, incorporate a latch similar to that used onthe Crescent Metal Products cabinets.

Cabinets sold under the name TRANSITRAY CABINET, by Bevles Company,Inc., 2121 Central Avenue, South El Monte, Calif. 91733, incorporate agravity operated latch. However, it is believed that this latch must bemanipulated to secure the door in either the open or closed position.

Thus, latches known in the art such as those briefly discussed above arecharacterized by certain drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a latch assembly for holding an objectsuch as a swingable door in one of two or more positions wherein whenmoved to any of the positions, the latch assembly automatically assumesa latched attitude.

This invention contemplates a latch assembly that includes a singlelatch member mounted on the object and operable under the influence ofgravity to assume a latched attitude and manipulable from either side ofthe object to be released from the latched attitude in either of thepositions in which the object is held.

The present invention also provides a latch assembly in which portionsof the latch member for holding the object in one position from one sidethereof are concealed from the other side of the object. Therefore, thislatch assembly is exceedingly attractive as well as simple andconvenient to use.

The latch assembly of the present invention may advantageously be used,for example, in conjunction with a door on a delivery/storage cabinetfor storing and transporting trays of food in bakeries or food serviceinstitutions. However, this latch assembly also may advantageously beused with any moveable object such as a door, a gate, or a pivotablewindow, in which it is desirable to easily and automatically hold theobject in either of two positions.

In accordance with the preferred embodiments, the latch assembly of thepresent invention includes an open-position catch mounted at the openposition of the object and a closed-position catch mounted at the closedposition of the object. Each catch has an inclined or a cam surface thatterminates in a trapping surface. A latch is mounted for limited pivotedmovement on the object between a normally latched attitude, assumedunder the influence of gravity, and an unlatched attitude. The latchmember has an open-position latch portion that defines a trapped surfaceengageble with the cam surface of the open-position catch during aninitial portion of movement of the object toward the one position topivot the latch member toward the unlatched attitude. The open-positionlatch portion disengages from the cam surface upon final movement of theobject to the one position, thereby permitting the latch member to movetoward its latch attitude with the trapping and trapped surfacesabutting one another.

The latch member also has a closed-position latch portion that defines atrapped surface engageable with the cam and trapping surfaces of theclosed-position catch in a manner similar to interengagement of theopen-position latch portion and catch.

The open-position latch portion is manipulable from one side of theobject to move the latch member to the unlatched attitude for releasefrom the open-position catch. The closed-position latch portionsimilarly is manipulable from the other side of the object also to movethe latch member to the unlatched attitude for release from theclosed-position catch.

In the preferred embodiments, the latch member is mounted with theobject so that the respective latch portions may only be seen on theside of the object from which they are manipulable. That is, theopen-position latch portion is manipulable from one side of the objectbut is concealed from view from the other side of the object.Accordingly, the latch assembly of the invention has a pleasingappearance and at the same time is convenient and simple to operate.

Thus, the present invention provides a simple and aesthetically andmechanically elegant latch assembly that automatically operates tocapture and hold an object in either one of two positions yet may beeasily operated to release the object from either of these positions.

These and other objects, aspects and advantages of the present inventionwill be pointed out in or will be understood from the detaileddescription provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a delivery/storage cabinet, fortransporting and storing trays, that incorporates the latch assembly ofthe present invention for holding the cabinet door in either the open orthe closed position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the door andlatch assembly in the closed position with part of the door broken awayto show engagement of the latch member with the closed-position catch.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the latch member removed from thecabinet door.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on plane 4--4 in FIG.2 looking downwardly and showing the engaged latch member andclosed-position catch.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the door and thelatch assembly in the open position with part of the door and latchmember broken away to show engagement of the closed-position portion ofthe latch member with the closed-position catch.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on plane 6--6 in FIG.5 looking downwardly.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the latch member engaged by analternative catch structure with the door in the closed position.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the alternative catch structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In its preferred embodiments, the latch assembly of the presentinvention is specifically designed to secure the swingable or pivotabledoor of a delivery/storage cabinet in either an open or a closedposition. Therefore, for convenience the latch assembly will bedescribed in this environment. However, it will be readily appreciatedby those skilled in the art that the latch assembly of the invention maybe adapted to any of a myriad of applications in which any object suchas a door, a gate, or a swingable window is desirably held in one of twoor more positions.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the latch assembly of the present inventionis generally indicated at 10 and is used in conjunction with the door 12of a delivery/storage cabinet generally indicated at 14. In addition tothe door, the cabinet may have a base 16, a top 18, four corner posts20, and two mutually parallel side walls 22 extending between pairs ofthe corner posts and recessed from their lateral extremes. A spreaderbar 38 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) may span the distance between the twoforward corner posts 20a and 20c, which define the front opening of thecabinet, in order to add rigidity to the structure. As is well known,the inner surfaces of the side walls may be provided with supports fortrays. The cabinet also includes a back wall (not shown) that opposesthe front opening. For convenience, the entire cabinet may be mounted oncasters 26 to ease its movement.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the door 12 is formed with a relativelywide, generally flat central panel 28 and a pair of opposing narrowerbut also generally flat edge panels 30 that are mutually parallel to thecentral panel 28. Each edge panel 30 is integrally joined to and offsetfrom the central panel 28 by an intermediate wall 32 extendingperpendicularly to both. An extruded handle 36 may be mounted on thedoor 12 adjacent the left intermediate wall 32a to assist opening of thedoor, but may be eliminated if desired. As shown in FIG. 1, the rightedge panel 30a is attached to the movable portion of a hinge 34, havinga fixed portion secured to the right, forward corner post 20a.Accordingly, the door 12 may swing through about 270 degrees between theclosed position shown in FIG. 1 and an open position lying closelyagainst the right side wall 22a and recessed between the two rightcorner posts 20a and 20b.

The latch assembly 10 in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent invention includes a latch member generally indicated at 40comprising an enlarged plate 42 pivotably mounted on a shaft 44 that issecured to the central panel 28 of the door 12. A flange 46 projectsforwardly from the upper extreme of the plate 42 and a flat grab handle48, which also constitutes a open-position latch portion as will bedescribed in greater detail below, depends from the forward extreme ofthe flange 46.

The left intermediate wall 32 of the door 12 is formed with a verticallyextending slot 50 at its juncture with the central panel 28 and thelatch member is formed with a leftwardly projecting arm 52 that passesthrough the slot. The opposed vertical extremes of the slot limit therange of pivoted movement of the latch member about the shaft 44 and thelower extreme supports the latch member against the influence of gravitynear its normal, latched attitude.

The arm 52 of the latch member 40 includes a short section 54 extendingobliquely to the plate 42 and terminating in a closed-position latchportion 56 extending parallel to the plate 42. As can be seen in FIGS. 2and 3, the portion 56 is formed with a tear-drop shaped hole 58 having alarge diameter part at the bottom and a small diameter part at the topthereby defining inverted V-shape side walls 59.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 4, a closed-position catch 60 isformed with a conical head 62 having a rounded nose 64 and thatterminates in a generally flat trapping surface 66. A stem 68 projectsaxially from the center of the trapping surface and is secured to thespreader bar 38 by a screw, rivet, or other suitable means at a positionopposing the hole 58 through the closed-position latch portion 56 of thelatch member. The diameter of the larger portion of the hole 58 isgreater than the largest diameter of the head 62 of the catch 60.However, the diameter of the small portion of the hole is approximatelyequal to the diameter of the stem 68. Accordingly, when the door 12 isinitially moved toward its closed position shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4,the closed-position latch portion 56 of the latch member will engage thecatch member with the inverted V-shape side walls 59 of the hole 58engaging and, through camming action, riding up on the conical surfaceof the head 62 of the catch 60. The camming action continues until theoutwardly facing or trapped surface 72 of the closed-position latchportion is disengaged from the head of the closed-position catch. Atthis time, the latch member returns to its normal latched attitude underthe influence of gravity with a part of the trapped surface 72 adjacentthe V-shaped walls 59 in abutting relation with the trapping surface 66of the catch 60. Therefore, the door will be retained in the closedposition by engagement of the catch and latch member.

When it is desired to release the latching engagement of the catch andlatch members 60 and 40, the latch member need only be pivoted to itsunlatched attitude by manipulating the grab handle 48 and flange 46until the large diameter portion of the hole 58 registers with the head62 of the catch member. The door may then be moved away from the closedposition with the catch head passing through the hole in the latchmember. Manipulation of the grab handle and flange may be with only oneof the user's hands.

Thus, the latch assembly of the present invention is automaticallyoperable upon movement of the door toward its closed position to trapthe door there. The latch assembly is also easily operable with one handto release the trapping engagement holding the door in this position.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, it can be seen that in addition toproviding a manipulable structure for releasing the latch member whenthe door is trapped in its closed position, the grab handle 48 acts asan open-position latch portion that in cooperation with an open positioncatch 74 holds the door in its open position. The open-position catch 74is identical to the closed-position catch 60 and is mounted by havingits stem 80 bolted, riveted or otherwise secured to the right side wall22a of the cabinet at a position to engage the grab handle. Uponmovement of the door toward its open position, the lower edge of thegrab handle engages the conical cam surface of the open-position catchhead 76 causing the latch member to pivot upwardly about the shaft 44.When the door is moved sufficiently toward its open position todisengage an inner trapped surface 82 of the grab handle 48 from the camsurface, the latch member will pivot under the influence of gravity toits normal latched attitude with the trapped surface in engagement withthe trapping surface 78 of the open-position catch. At this time thedoor is positively held in its open position.

FIGS. 5 and 6 also show that the closed-position latch portion 56 of thelatch is accessable from the inside of the door so that it may bemanipulated when the door is latched in its open position to releaseengagement of the trapped and trapping surfaces.

As can be seen further in the Figures, the closed-position latch portion56 of the latch member is concealed from view by the left edge panel 30bof the door when the door is in its closed position. Similarly, when thedoor is in its open position, the open-position latch portion or grabhandle 48 is concealed from view by the central panel 28 of the door.Therefore, in both positions of the door, the latch assembly of thepresent invention provides a clean and pleasing appearance.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an alternative catch may be utilized in thelatch assembly of the present invention particularly, though notneccessarily, in applications were the spreader bar is not needed orundesirable. This alternative catch includes a C-shaped mounting bracket84 having upwardly and downwardly directed flanges 86 and 88 extendingfrom the extremes of the legs 89 thereof. The flanges may be secured toa plate 90 projecting sidewardly from a corner post 20, that is formedwith a notch 92 for exposing the base 91 of the mounting bracket 84.

The alternative catch also includes a catch member 94 having a base 96secured by rivets or other suitable fastener means to the base of themounting bracket 84. A strike plate 97 of this catch member projectingforwardly from the base is wedge-shaped, having an inclined cam surface98 that terminates in a slot 100 having a rearwardly facing trappingsurface 102. The catch member is positioned so that the lower edge ofthe closed-position latch portion 56 of the latch member engages thelower-most region of the inclined surface 98 upon initial movement ofthe door toward its closed position. Accordingly, the latch member ispivoted upwardly until the closed-position latch portion registers withthe notch and the latch member may return to its latched attitude underthe influence of gravity with the trapping surface 102 in abuttingengagement with the trapped surface of the closed-position latchportion.

The latch member is operated in the same way as was described withreference to the first embodiment to release it from the latchedcondition.

A similar alternative catch member may be mounted on the side wall 22areplacing the open-position catch shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Theopen-position latch portion defined by the grab handle 48 engages thiscatch member by registering with the notch 100 to latch the door in itsopen position.

It will be appreciated from the above description that the presentinvention provides a simple, aesthetically and mechanically elegantlatch assembly for securing an object such as a door in either one oftwo positions. This latch assembly is easily operable with one hand torelease latching engagement of the object from either of its twopositions, and is automatically operable upon movement of the objecttoward either of the two positions to effect latching engagement.

Accordingly, although preferred embodiments of the present inventionhave been described above in detail, it is to be understood that this isfor purposes of illustration. Modifications may be made to theseembodiments in order to adapt the latch assembly of the presentinvention to particular applications.

What is claimed is:
 1. A latch and object assembly comprising:an objectmounted for movement between two positions and having two sides; firstcatch means mounted in the region of one of said positions of saidobject; second catch means mounted in the region of the other of saidpositions of said object; and a latch member mounted on said object andhaving a first latch portion engageable with said first catch means tohold said object in said one position and a second latch portionengageable with said second catch means to hold said object in saidother position; said first latch portion including means manipulablefrom one side of said object to release holding engagement of saidsecond latch portion and said second catch means, and said second latchportion including means manipulable from another side of said object torelease holding engagement of said first latch portion and said firstcatch means; said object further comprising first concealing means forobstructing view of said first latch portion when said object is in saidone position, and second concealing means for obstructing view of saidsecond latch means when said object is in said other position.
 2. Alatch and object assembly according to claim 1, wherein said object isformed with a slot and wherein said latch member further comprises anintermediate section joining said first and said second latch portionsand projecting through said slot.
 3. A latch and object assemblyaccording to claim 2, wherein said object comprises a first panel, asecond panel generally parallel to said first panel and a wall extendinggenerally perpendicularly to and connecting said first and secondpanels, said latch member being mounted for pivoted movement on saidfirst panel, said slot being formed in said wall with said intermediatesection projecting therethrough and engageable at the extremes thereofby said intermediate section to limit pivoted movement of said latchmember, said second panel comprising said second concealing meansobstructing view of said second latch portion from said one side of saidobject and said first panel comprising said first concealing meansobstructing view of said first latch portion from said other side ofsaid object.
 4. A latch and object assembly according to claim 1,wherein said latch member comprises a main plate and one of said latchportions comprises a flange projecting outwardly from said plate and ahandle depending from said flange, said flange and said handlecomprising said first latch portion manipulable means.
 5. A latch andobject assembly according to claim 1, wherein said latch member ispivotable between a normally latched attitude and an unlatched attitude,wherein said first and said second catch means each comprise a camsurface terminating in a trapping surface and wherein said first andsecond latch portions each define a trapped surface engageable with oneof said cam surfaces upon initial movement of said object toward theassociated position to pivot said latch member toward said unlatchedattitude and subsequently disengageable from said cam surface upon finalmovement of said object toward said associated position to permit saidlatch member to move toward its latched attitude with said trapping andtrapped surfaces in engagement.
 6. A latch and object assembly accordingto claim 5, wherein at least one of said first and said second catchmeans comprises a strike plate having an inclined edge defining said camsurface and terminating in a slot defining said trapping surface.
 7. Alatch and object assembly according to claim 5, wherein at least onesaid first and said second catch means comprises a head portion having aconical outer surface defining said cam surface and terminating in saidtrapping surface, and a stem projecting from said trapping surface forattachment to a fixed structure in the region of one of said twopositions.
 8. A latch and object assembly according to claim 7, whereinat least one of said first and said second latch portions comprises anarm formed with an aperture therein, a part of which is of sufficientlylarge diameter to pass over said main body and a smaller part of whichembraces said stem with adjacent portions of said arm, defining saidtrapped surface, confronting said trapping surface.
 9. A latch andobject assembly according to claim 1, wherein said object comprises afirst panel, a second panel generally parallel to said first panel, anda wall extending generally perpendicularly to and connecting said firstand said second panels, said wall being formed with an opening therein,said latch member being mounted for pivoted movement on said first paneland projecting through said opening with said second latch portionlocated adjacent said second panel which thereby comprises said secondconcealing means and with said first latch portion located adjacent saidfirst panel which thereby comprises said first concealing means.
 10. Alatch and object assembly comprising:an object mounted for movementbetween at least two positions; first catch means mounted in the regionof a first of said positions of said object and having a first camsurface terminating in a first trapping surface; second catch meansmounted in the region of a second of said positions of said object andhaving a second cam surface terminating in a second trapping surface;and a latch member mounted for limited pivoted movement on said objectbetween a normally latched attitude and an unlatched attitude, saidlatch member having a first latch portion, defining a first trappedsurface, engageable with said first cam surface upon initial movement ofthe object toward said first position to pivot said latch member towardsaid unlatched attitude and subsequently disengageable from said firstcam surface upon final movement of said object to said first position topermit said latch member to move toward its latched attitude with saidfirst trapped surface engaging said first trapping surface; said latchmember also having a second latch portion, defining a second trappedsurface, engageable with said second cam surface upon initial movementof the object toward said second position to pivot said latch membertoward said unlatched attitude and subsequently disengageable from saidsecond cam surface upon final movement of said object to said secondposition to permit said latch member to move toward its latched attitudewith said second trapped surface engaging said second trapping surface;said object further comprising first concealing means for obstructingview of said first latch portion when said object is in said firstposition, and second concealing means for obstructing view of saidsecond latch portion when said object is in said second position.
 11. Alatch and object assembly according to claim 10, wherein said firstlatch portion comprises means manipulable from one side of said objectto move said latch member to said unlatched attitude, and wherein saidsecond latch portion comprises means manipulable from a side of saidobject opposite said one side also to move said latch member to saidunlatched attitude.
 12. A latch and object assembly according to claim11, wherein said latch member comprises a main plate and said firstlatch portion comprises a flange projecting outwardly from said plateand a handle depending from said flange, said flange and said handlecomprising said first latch portion manipulable means.
 13. A latch andobject assembly according to claim 11, wherein said object is formedwith a slot and wherein said first latch portion manipulable means isjoined to said second latch portion manipulable means by an intermediatesection projecting through said slot.
 14. A latch and object assemblyaccording to claim 10, wherein at least one of said first and saidsecond catch means comprises a head portion having a conical outersurface defining said cam surface and terminating in said trappingsurface, and a stem projecting from said trapping surface for attachmentto a fixed structure in the region of one of said two positions.
 15. Alatch and object assembly according to claim 14, wherein at least one ofsaid first and said second latch portions comprises an arm formed withan aperture therein, a part of which is of sufficiently large diameterto pass over said head and a smaller part of which embraces said stemwith adjacent portions of said arm defining said trapped surface,engageable with said trapping surface.
 16. A latch and object assemblyaccording to claim 10, wherein at least one of said first and saidsecond catch means comprises a strike plate having an inclined edgedefining said cam surface and terminating in a slot defining saidtrapping surface.
 17. A latch and object assembly according to claim 10,wherein said object comprises a first panel, a second panel generallyparallel to said first panel and a wall extending generallyperpendicularly to and connecting said first and said second panels,said wall being formed with an opening therein, said latch member beingmounted for pivoted movement on said first panel and projecting throughsaid opening with said second latch portion located adjacent said secondpanel which thereby comprises said second concealing means and with saidfirst latch portion located adjacent said first panel which therebycomprises said first concealing means.
 18. A latch and object assemblycomprising:an object mounted for movement between two positions andhaving two sides; first catch means mounted in the region of one of saidpositions of said object; second catch means mounted in the region ofthe other of said positions of said object; and a latch member mountedon said object and having a first latch portion engageable with saidfirst catch means to hold said object in said one position and a secondlatch portion engageable with said second catch means to hold saidobject in said other position; said first latch portion including meansmanipulable from one side of said object to release holding engagementof said second latch portion and said second catch means, and saidsecond latch portion including means manipulable from another side ofsaid object to release holding engagement of said first latch portionand said first catch means; said object further comprising a firstpanel, a second panel generally parallel to said first panel and a wallextending generally perpendicular to and connecting said first and saidsecond panels, said wall being formed with an opening therein, saidlatch member being mounted for pivoted movement on said first panel andprojecting through said opening with said second latch portion locatedadjacent said second panel which thereby obstructs view of said secondlatch portion when said object is in said other position and with saidfirst latch portion located adjacent said first panel which therebyobstructs view of said first latch portion when said object is in saidone position.